Stonehill hosts women’s basketball regional final Monday night

The 11th-ranked Skyhawks face the 16th-ranked University of the Sciences from Philadelphia with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line at Merkert Gym.

Jim Fenton The Enterprise @JFenton_ent

EASTON – Students returning to Stonehill College today following spring break will find a special event waiting for them on campus.

The NCAA Division 2 East Regional women’s basketball championship game is being hosted by the Skyhawks, who are just one step away from their first trip to the Elite Eight since 1995.

With a victory over the third-seeded University of the Sciences from Philadelphia (30-3) at Merkert Gym tonight at 7 o’clock, top-seeded Stonehill (28-3) will put an end to a 23-year drought.

A special season put together by the Skyhawks with four senior starters can be extended to the national level if they are able to stay perfect on their home court, where Stonehill is 17-0.

The last time the program won a regional championship was in ’95 at Merkert Gym, defeating Saint Anselm College.

“The atmosphere is just going to be so fun,’’ said coach Trisha Brown, whose team is ranked 11th in the nation. “Our student body and our fans have been so great all year.

“It’s going to be a battle and hopefully we can get it done.’’

The University of the Sciences, ranked 16th in the country, handed Stonehill its worst loss of the season, 71-56, on Dec. 28 in Philadelphia.

The Skyhawks trailed by a point going into the fourth quarter before getting outscored, 25-11, in a game in which they shot 30 percent.

More than 10 weeks later, they get a chance to avenge that loss in a high-stakes Sweet 16 rematch.

“We couldn’t be more excited, especially having another chance at Sciences,’’ said guard Kelly Martin. “It was probably the worst game all year. We’re a much different team now and we’ll be ready to go Monday night.

“We talk about the ‘Magic of the Merkert’ and it’ll be awesome to be home.’’

The Devils stopped Bentley University in the semifinal round Saturday night. They are in the NCAAs for the fourth time in program history and won a game for the first time last season, eliminating Bentley.

The University of the Sciences has set a program record for wins, won the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference tournament for a second straight year and ranks among the national Division 2 leaders in 3-pointers per game.

All five of the Devils’ starters have at least 127 career 3-pointers and four of them have at least 56 of them this season. The team is tied for second nationally in Division 2 with 317 made 3-pointers and is fourth with 894 attempts.

“They are a phenomenal team, just so poised and very patient,’’ said Brown. “They run their stuff well and can they shoot. I thought they were going to break a 3-point shooting record in our gym in the first three minutes of the Bentley game. They know how to score.’’

Said guard Courtney Walsh: “They’re a great shooting team, but I think we know the fixes we have to make. We didn’t have a good game down there, so we’re ready for a second chance.’’

Stonehill had a nine-game winning streak stopped by the Devils in that late December game that came following a 10-day semester break.

“December wasn’t our finest outing,’’ said Brown of that game in Philadelphia, “so we’re really excited about bringing a different team to Monday night in terms of how we’re going to defend them. And our ability to score is a lot better than it was on that day in December.

“We’re a lot different. Coming off that break in December we didn’t play well offensively. We struggled to score. Honestly we weren’t ready to defend a team like that. They’re just really poised, very patient with their offense. It was an offense we really hadn’t seen going into that game.’’

The winner advances to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the Elite Eight begins March 19.

Jim Fenton may be reached at jfenton@enterprisenews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFenton_ent.

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